Save three lives, get free Gelato Messina if you donate blood on Friday

Do want to try Messina's bespoke blood orange cheesecake with red velvet cake and raspberry puree? Do you want to get a cup of it for free? Of course you do. All it will cost you is, well, your blood.

The Red Cross is running a special 24-hour donate-a-thon from 7pm on Thursday, June 13 to 7pm on Friday, June 14. The organisation hopes to encourage people to become donors (99,000 new donors are desperately needed over the next year), and there will be lots of cool treats for donors during the 24 hours.

There will be live music from singer-songwriter Lakyn, entertainment from magician Richard Vegas and a professional caricature artist, and of course, extra-tasty treats to thank people for saving lives. Chef Frank Camorra of Movida will treat donors to a special 'donor' kebab special, comprising marinated lamb skewers, chicken empanadas and crema catalan for dessert. But save some extra space for an extra dessert, because Gelato Messina is also providing its special blood orange cheesecake-red velvet flavour.

Roll up your sleeves at the Collins Street donation centre (level 1, 367 Collins Street) and get amongst some delicious food, excellent tunes, magic and caricature and of course, the knowledge that you have saved up to three lives with each donation.

She writes about going out in Melbourne. She covers events, the city and the built environment, public transport, things to do, travel, some restaurants and bars, some theatre and arts – all kinds of things! If it's Melbourne related, she's the guy for it. She grew up in New York City and spent five years in Dublin before moving to Melbourne in early 2007. She has a master's degree in journalism and spent seven years at Australian political publication Crikey. She plays roller derby, so if she's not out enjoying Melbourne's rich and diverse cultural life, she's probably putting wheels on her feet and smashing into people.

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